


Misunderstandings

by Menatiera



Series: Bingo Fills [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: (but Tony has terrible ideas and is very oblivious), (don't worry Steve doesn't pick up everyone), Assumed hookups, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Steve, Oblivious Tony, One Night Stands, Tony Stark Bingo 2018, communication fail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 04:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17073314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Menatiera/pseuds/Menatiera
Summary: “Mind if I don’t see you off?”“Nah, I’m fine.” Tony doesn’t look, but he knows Daniel returns the kiss, every nerve in his brain could tell him even without hearing it. “I’ll get dressed and disappear, I know the way.”Steve’s hookup walks back to the elevator, and Steve doesn’t say a word. Tony risks another glance, and sees Steve staring at the man’s ass with a puzzled expression.It is, admittedly, a finely sculpted ass, but Tony’s still jealous.





	Misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by the awesome [Gavilan](https://gavilansblog.tumblr.com/) who made sure this fill isn't a complete mess. Thank you!
> 
> This is for [my Tony Stark Bingo card](https://menatiera.tumblr.com/post/180797017858/so-today-or-tomorrow-ill-start-posting-my-tsb) square K1: Misunderstandings. Which makes it a complete bingo! Woo-hoo!

Tony’s grip tightens on his cup so much that he thinks he hears it cracking. He sends hateful glares toward the elevator door which just revealed Steve Rogers, superhero extraordinaire and newest resident of the Avengers Tower, followed closely by a – no better word for it – beautiful man. They are laughing at something. They are both shirtless. Tony turns away, showing his back, but all his senses are aimed at them.

“Thanks, Steve,” the man says, “I didn’t expect this much fun with you.”

Tony swallows his coffee wrong and needs all of his self-control to not burst out in a coughing fit. Do they… do they really plan to discuss their affair _in the common kitchen_ of the Tower? And anyway, how dare he. Tony would never doubt that each and any of Steve’s partners has nothing but a great time. Steve seems like the kind of guy who always puts his partner’s pleasure first and doesn’t come until he gave at least two or three orgasms to the other first.

Not like Tony’s thought about it before. Uh-oh, no way.

“It was my pleasure, Daniel.” Steve is polite as always, his voice gentle and warm, but  it lacks all innuendos that he could probably make in this scenario. Tony really, really appreciates it as he shuffles the sugar that probably melted three times over already in his coffee. “So what do you like? Bananas okay, or would you like an apple instead?”

Tony glances back only to witness the smirk on the stranger’s face that cannot be described with any other word but sinister.

“Bananas are perfect, thank you.”

Steve puts one in his hand unceremoniously and – Tony turns away immediately – brushes a kiss on Daniel’s cheek. “Mind if I don’t see you off?”

“Nah, I’m fine.” Tony doesn’t look, but he knows Daniel returns the kiss, every nerve in his brain could tell him even without hearing it. “I’ll get dressed and disappear, I know the way.”

Steve’s hookup walks back to the elevator, and Steve doesn’t say a word. Tony risks another glance, and sees Steve staring at the man’s ass with a puzzled expression.

It is, admittedly, a finely sculpted ass, but Tony’s still jealous.

*

“Please, don’t make it awkward by forcing me to throw you out the window,” Tony warns, exasperated, when guy number… thirteen, maybe? – when he tries to hug him.

“We’re like seventy floors up,” the guy says.

“So?” He has flying suits, after all.

“Jack, please, behave,” Steve sighs. “We’ve talked about this.”

*

Turns out, Steve’s post-mission stress-relief is sex.

After each and every battle, right after the debriefing’s done, Steve Rogers disappears into unknown places, usually for no more than an hour at most, then returns to the Tower with a stranger in tow. It was only women at first few times, but then Steve apparently got the hang of the free love part of the new century, because then came the men too.

Sometimes they are objectively handsome, sometimes the most Tony can tell is that they have interesting features. Rogers apparently isn’t bothered by modern beauty standards. One of them has heterochromia, and as accepting as Tony tries to be, that gaze turns out to be really unnerving. One of them – Tony can’t tell if they’re male or female – has almost angelically androgynous features, and Tony has to give Rogers a  point for the lack of genderphobia (is that even a word?).

Tony would probably even be supportive of his complete transition to the modern approach, if he weren’t forced to _face_ Steve’s hookups.

Because apparently Steve is a gentleman who doesn’t simply throws his bedmates out of the apartment but takes it upon himself to give them breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, whatever meal is appropriate for the time of day when they emerge from Steve’s apartment), and this courteousness means that occasionally, everyone meets these people.

Tony gets to witness these occasions more often than he likes, and that's probably among the many reasons he falls even more for Steve. Because he is - he lives up to the name of Cap, even out of the uniform, in terms of respecting others. He's always patient and polite to these people, and makes effort to chat with them about their interests - never about Steve, though, or what they just did behind closed doors.

Sometimes these people are seemingly innocent, sometimes they flirt openly with Steve – or with the others. Tony has to stop two of them from immediately hitting on him, because he sure as hell won’t flirt with Steve’s flings right after they were fucked thoroughly by the resident supersoldier.

The thought makes his heart ache every time, and he has to retreat to his workshop to patch up himself emotionally. Sometimes he catches a confused glance from Steve at his hasty exit, and sometimes Tony nearly convinces himself that it’s _hurt_ and _longing_ that he sees in Steve’s expression.

But that’s an absurd thought. Steve’s never initiated anything with Tony, despite his obviously having no problems with offering _things_ to complete strangers. So he can safely rule out the option that Steve might look at him as anything other than a teammate. Maybe, if he’s really generous, a friend.

Which is fine. It’s already more than Tony thought himself worthy for a long time.

*

"I'll have someone over tomorrow too, if that's okay," Steve asks Tony at the end of a movie night.

Tony put up on himself to help Cap recap all the popculture he has missed, and so far Steve was not protesting, quite the opposite. He happily joined Tony on the couch every evening. Tony expected him to sit straight and with a straight face, not saying a word, but turns out Steve out of uniform is practically incapable of sitting straight. He curls to the most ridiculous positions, feet tucked up, spin cracked to nearly-impossible bends, like a big cat. He also has the terrible habit of commenting everything that happens on the screen, unable to contain his excitement, sharing his tips and foresights about possible plot twists, flooding Tony with a dozen questions when he doesn't get something.

Tony doesn't mind at all, happy to explain and smug to withhold information when he doesn't want to spoil something. (Watching the original Star Wars trilogy was a blessing and Tony treasures the photos taken at Steve's scandalized expression when Vader confessed his identity.)

"Tony?" Steve asks, dragging his attention back to the present.

"Hm? Yeah. You bringing someone." He doesn't get why Steve asks permission now, after he did the exact same thing several times already. "Sure, no problem." He aims for nonchalance and thankfully for his life spent in front of cameras, he succeeds. "Why are you even asking? It's nothing new, I assume."

Steve shrugs a bit. "I dunno, it's still your Tower after all. I don't want you to be... uncomfortable."

"I'm not," Tony lies immediately, on instinct.

Steve hums and nods thoughtfully. "Okay," he accepts. Cap would pressure Tony to give a more detailed answer, but out of the uniform Steve is Steve, and not Cap. At first it took Tony a while to see this difference. By now, he can't unsee it. "So. Another one? Clint said I must watch Princess Diaries, called it a classic. I'm a bit skeptical, since it's Clint..."

Tony covers up his emotions with a wicked grin. "Oh, I have to agree with Clint on this, you definitely have to see Princess Diaries. Jarvis, put it on!"

*

Tony never sees the same person twice. Steve is very thorough about this.

Tony also makes sure he never allows himself  to look these people up. No need for that heartbreak, no need to try to see what they might have that he lacks, what makes Steve not want him.

*

“You’ve got some paint left on you,” girl number seven says, and gently sweeps a spot on Steve’s neck with recently licked fingers.

“Thanks,” Steve says, nonchalant, and lets the girl clean him up.

Tony’s stomach flips and he tries not to think about all kinds of kinks that would involve paint during (before? after? who knows?) making out.

*

When Steve hands him an envelope, Tony accepts it without thinking about it, and this easy acceptance makes Steve blush. It’s an invitation: to the opening of one Roger Stevens’s exhibition.

Tony stares at Steve stupidly, and Steve shifts awkwardly under the weight of his gaze and seems like he’s ready to bolt out of the workshop. “You have an exhibition?” It’s an absolutely dumb question; the proof of it rests in Tony’s hands. “And you want me to be at the opening?”

Steve lifts his weight from one leg to another. “Why wouldn’t I want you there? I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s fine, it’s just… I’ve sent my portfolio to this gallery and they wanted to make this exhibition and I thought, why not, doing something for myself and not as Cap, but... if you think it’s stupid…” he trails off, and doesn’t look at Tony anymore, blushing ever so cutely.

“Oh, no, it’s a great idea,” Tony hurriedly says, even though he can’t be sure. He hasn’t seen _any_ of Steve’s works before, but if they’re anything like the man, they must be awesome and perfect and… right, back on track. “I was just wondering if you’d want the opening to be distracted by the presence of, you know, me.”

Steve just looks at him puzzled, eyebrow lifted questioningly.

“If I show up and the paparazzi get word of it, they’ll turn it into some spectacular conspiracy theory about Stevens getting the spotlight only because Tony Stark is fucking him or something,” Tony tries to explain.

Tony thought Steve was red before. Turns out, he was just mildly pink compared to the bright red brick wall color his face turns at these words.

Seriously? He’s fucked half a bar just in the last few months, and he still blushes at the mention of _fucking_? Tony doesn’t even pretend to understand Steve anymore.

Steve squares his shoulders, takes a deep breath. “You’re my friend, Tony, of course I want you to be there when my exhibition opens. I won’t be there as the artist myself anyway, in case I’d be recognized,” he said firmly. “And if any so-called journalist gets ideas, they can fuck themselves sideways with a cactus.”

Tony bursts out laughing, and Steve turns around and marches out of the workshop. “I’ll expect you there, Stark!” he says back brightly.

*

Tony didn’t expect this.

All of the Avengers are on the opening, as discreetly as they can: Natasha is basically unrecognizable, Bruce’s face isn’t well known anyway, Clint blends in perfectly.

The ones who need to put the effort are Thor – he’s still quite outstanding in his hoodie among the well-dressed people, not to mention he’s basically the tallest and most muscular person in the room, which leads to… well, a lot of attention, mostly from the ladies present – Steve – who still thinks sunglasses and a baseball cap are a suitable disguise – and Tony.

Tony doesn’t even try. He’d be more suspicious if he tried to cover up his presence, so he’d just driven here from the backdoor of the Tower and hoped for the best since then. It’s not like he never leaves his home – he does, almost every day, thank you – and most of the time he doesn’t do anything interesting.

He walks around – they gets together with the others from time to time, but mostly all of them are wandering alone, drifting from one piece to another, depending which one grabs their attention – and he gets more and more confused.

There are landscapes, still lifes, and occasional abstract paintings, but most of them are… people.

People caught in various poses, facial expression studies, people looking at the watcher, people submerged in different activities. A girl smelling a bouquet of flowers. A man with a video game controller in hand, face morphed into intense concentration. Twins facing each other, one smiling, one crying. Someone sleeping. Someone sitting up straight, alert.

The strange thing is, Tony recognizes these people. They’re Steve’s hookups.

Or… are they?

Steve steps next to Tony. “Do you… like… what do you think?” he asks, his fingers going white as he holds his belt. It’s his go-to nervous pose when he hides how worked up he is behind self-control. Tony usually see this pose while Steve is in uniform.

“How did you have time to paint all of these?” Tony bursts out.

Steve gives him his puzzled look. “Uhm, when they were up at my place? I’m not even a fast painter.”

“How did you have time for painting among the fucking?”

It slips Tony’s mouth before he could stop it, and he wants to smack himself in the head at the sight of Steve’s horrified shock.

“What?” Steve squeeks, and he’s bright red again in a heartbeat. “What do you—oh geez, Tony, I wasn’t fucking them!”

A few people turns towards them at his raised voice, and Steve ducks his head while Tony flashes a smile to them. At least it gives them an opportunity to get their bearings.

“No, Tony,” Steve whispers once the attention is gone from them, “I definitely wasn’t… for fuck’s sake, I just painted them! To relax after the missions and because I needed to practice realistic portrayal and…”

“Wait,” Tony says, and feels himself slow and stupid. “But they… you kissed them!”

Steve blinks. “On their cheeks,” he points out.

“You gave them breakfast!” Tony accuses, slightly hysterical.

“Well, they’ve been still for me for hours, it was just polite not let them go away on empty stomach!”

“Oh man.” Tony throws his hands in the air. “I mean, it’s…” He can’t finish. “But then with who…”

Steve bites his lip. “No one?”

“No one.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Steve is bright red, and hesitates, but then there’s that straightening again, like he prepares himself for a particularly painful blow. “He’s not interested in me.”

Tony laughs. He can’t help it, but he regrets the moment Steve’s face closes off, hurt. “Steve, everyone is interested in you,” Tony says.

“Not everyone,” Steve says faintly. “He never… he basically runs away half the time we’re in the same space.”

Tony shrugs. “That proves my point, actually. Believe me, people acts particularly stupid when they have a crush.”

Steve stares at the painting in front of them, glancing Tony only from the corner of his eyes. “You think so?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Tony states, and turns fully toward Steve. His heart aches, but he’s determined to help him, because apparently Steve isn’t as accustomed to modern standards as Tony thought beforehand. “So, who’s he? Do I know him? Wait, tell me it’s not Clint. It can’t be Clint, he’s super at ease with you. Thor? I mean, I’m not judging you…”

Steve licks his lips. “You absolutely sure?” he asks again, and it leaves Tony confused a bit, but he nods. “So if I confessed to him, you think it would end well?”

Tony frowns some more. “Steve, let me assure you, you’re everyone’s type who isn’t a hundred percent straight, and most of the population isn’t. Go ahead and ask him out and…”

“Tony,” Steve interrupts him, takes a deep breath, and looks him dead in the eye. “Would you come with me to a dinner?”

Tony’s heart skips a beat. Then another. His mouth falls open. “What?” he asks, not for the first time tonight.

Steve waits, patiently, nervously.

“What?” Tony asks again.

Steve blinks and takes a step back. “I’m…” he pauses, swallows, “I guess it’s a no, that’s alri—”

Tony doesn’t give him a chance to finish that sentence. The possibility of losing this opportunity, this confession, the best thing that has happened to him since who knows when, drags him out of his stupor. He lunges forward, sudden, desperate, and smacks his lips to Steve’s mouth.

His kiss is hungry, desperate – it has all his shock and all his longing in it, long weeks he thought Steve was interested in anyone but him, even longer months of him hopelessly crushing and pining after Steve, childhood hero, a larger than life image at first and so humanly, imperfectly perfect at last.

Steve’s lips are warm and he kisses back immediately, opens his mouth to let Tony in, eager, happy, strange, familiar – nothing like Tony imagined, because imagination is just a poor copycat of the real deal. He is sweet and spicy and oh, he definitely knows how to kiss properly.

Alas, after a while they have to come up for air. Tony looks up at Steve, slightly dizzy, definitely besotted.

“Well,” he starts, and has no idea how to finish.

“Dinner,” Steve supplies helpfully.

“Definitely. As a second date,” Tony agrees. Steve’s questioning look is amusing. “Hey, we’re in an opening of a very, very talented artist’s first exhibition and kissing. That’s definitely a date.”

Steve smirks. “I can’t argue with that, actually.”

“Thank God.” Tony dives in to kiss him again.  


**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this story, please leave a comment, this author needs validation! Also consider reading my other fics or visiting [my tumblr](https://menatiera.tumblr.com/) as well! :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Snapshots (A Misunderstandings Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20622431) by [only_more_love](https://archiveofourown.org/users/only_more_love/pseuds/only_more_love)




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